Moist Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Have you noticed how much stronger caramel tastes when you add salt to it (aka salted caramel)? The same happens when you add olive oil to dark chocolate. It results in a flavor much stronger and nuttier with a strong aftertaste.

Since both olive oil (talking about pure extra virgin olive oil), and chocolate have a slight bitterness to them, they blend very well together.

As for this Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, it's so sinfully delicious that it managed to survive no more than 12 hours in my fridge. Everyone truly enjoyed it. But what I enjoyed even more, is the fact that I didn't have to put any real effort into making it (you know how cakes can be like).

Other than the fact that you will have to melt some chocolate, the rest of the procedure is super easy. And as for the chocolate you can easily melt it in your microwave if you don't want to put on a double boiler.

How To Make A Moist Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

First Things First... The Right Way To Melt Chocolate

Put on a double boiler, by placing a small cooking pot half-filled with water, over medium heat. The water should get steamy hot, but without simmering or boiling. Place a bowl on top, that fits the size of the pot (without it touching the water) and place the chocolate (cut into small pieces) in it. Stir using a pastry spatula until all of the chocolate melts.

Or turn your microwave's temperature to medium, place chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl, and melt it (takes about 1 minute and a half). Make sure you stir the chocolate every 30-40 seconds so it won't burn on the sides.

To Make The Cake Batter...

Beat the eggs using an electric mixer until thick and foamy. Do this by adding the sugar gradually to them. When you add the sugar all at once, the eggs will get foamy on top and remain liquid at the bottom. Then mix the honey and olive oil into the melted chocolate. Stir this mixture into the eggs. With a pastry spatula, stir in the flour gently, and not all at once. Then add the ground almonds as well.

I used whole raw almonds, that I didn't skin or toast just blended until very smooth. Because this cake is a health-ish one with all the dark chocolate and olive oil it contains. Did you know that most of the powerful antioxidants that almonds contain are concentrated on their skin? Read more about the health benefits of almonds here.

And once your cake batter is ready, use a round spring foam cake pan and bake at a temperature of 160°C / 320°F, for about 30-35 minutes. The cake will still remain a bit moist in the center so if you prick with a knife test it more on the sides to check if it's done.

Serve It Hot Or Cold...

You can either serve this cake hot (similar to a lava cake) with a scoop of ice cream and the chocolate glaze that's given in this recipe, as a hot sauce on top. Or let it cool until it gets to room temperature, coat with the dark chocolate olive oil glaze and refrigerate until cool. In the hot version the flavor of olive oil will be stronger. While in its cold version the chocolate flavor will be the one that stands out. My personal favorite? The cold version. 😄

Recipe